Miao Cotton Baby Carrier

A black cloth with a beaded band on top and a floral starburst square below.

This baby carrier is Miao, from Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China, and dates to the 20th century. It is applique fine silk & cotton. Young Miao girls generally began learning embroidery around age eight or nine, and a baby carrier for a future child was among the first and most important items they made. A dark flap carries a long rectangle of beige patterned panels edged with tiny cream flowers. The lower square is black with a radiating snowflake of golden vines and a pale striped edge. It is 24 inches wide and 29 long.

A garden pressed into a very dark square.